The Resurrection: God's Unveiled Idea of Humanity

The early Christians preached the Resurrection with such power that men heard them gladly, for the truth was purely human as well as purely Divine. Joseph S. Exell observed three profound meanings in Christ's rising.

First, the Resurrection explains man's true place in creation. Humanity's position at the head of earthly creation places us on the threshold of a higher realm where our royalty truly belongs. This present world—too small, too poor—serves only to train us for our destiny beyond. The risen Christ infinitely enlarged the field of human vision, activity, and hope, explaining every kinglike instinct within us.

Second, the Resurrection unveils the mystery of matter itself. Men struggled to reconcile the body with the rule of a wise and righteous Lord. Yet here stands One—"bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh"—who bore his body through death and took it again joyfully into the spiritual and eternal world. This glorified human body sanctified not merely flesh, but all material creation, proving it belonged to Elohim, not to evil.

Third, Christ's rising casts light on the mystery of evil itself. The ancient dread that the body was a devilish prison, incapable of Divine use, dissolved at the empty tomb. Man was freed from tormenting bondage. In the risen Christ, God's idea of humanity stood unveiled forever.